Community News

Preventing abdominal aortic aneurysms and other vascular diseases

By Glenda Amen

Wellness manager

Posted:
03/29/2016 07:04:52 AM MDT

The aorta is the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) occurs when a week area develops in the aorta. As blood flow through the aorta, the weak area bulges like a balloon and there is danger of it bursting if it gets too big.

What are the warning signs of AAA?

There are usually no obvious symptoms of AAA. Three out of four aneurysms show no symptoms at the time they are diagnosed. When symptoms are present, they may include:

• Those at highest risk are males over the age of 60 who have ever smoked and/or who have a history of atherosclerosis.

• Those with a family history of AAA are at a higher risk (especially if the relative with AAA was female).

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• Smokers die four times more often from ruptured aneurysms than nonsmokers.

Sterling Regional MedCenter's Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) screening program provides patients with a tool for the detection and prevention of peripheral vascular disease, stroke and osteoporosis. Why does this affect you? Consider this:

Often times seemingly healthy individuals exhibit no symptoms, feel healthy and identify few, if any, risk factors. For those individuals, the first and only sign of trouble is a stroke.

Sterling Regional MedCenter's Peripheral Arterial Disease Screening program offers the education and prevention proven to be the best tools for fighting vascular disease, stroke and osteoporosis. Patients receive:

Sterling Regional MedCenter's Medical Imaging, Cardiopulmony and Wellness Services departments have teamed up to offer a screening program which provides patients the information necessary to enhance your health and further improve your quality of life. These screening are essential to the prevention and early detection of many diseases.

This screening includes:

• Blood work — Health Fair Panel

• Sleep questionnaire

• Lung function test

• Body composition, weight, and body mass index

• Hip to waist ratio

• EKG — results read by a board certified cardiologist

• Bone density screening (women only)

• PSA blood test (men only)

• Peripheral arterial disease screening

• Health education with a wellness specialist

• Health information packet

The Body Check screening cost is $175!

Both screenings are available every month. The next screening date is Wednesday, April 6, from 8 to 11 a.m. Call 970-521-3260 to schedule your appointment. The deadline to make your appointment is Monday, April 4.

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